


Against The Grain

by floodxland



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-10
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-14 13:02:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/837184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floodxland/pseuds/floodxland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a prompt on the Vikings Kink meme then it took a life of its own</p><p>Athelstan/Floki - </p><p>Different and yet the same :3 Guest staring some Lagertha/Helga and Ragnar -edit- This will go for a few chapters more, getting longer and more involved and the rating will go up ;)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. By the Felled Tree

**Author's Note:**

> I have not written any fiction in YEARS and somehow this fandom brought it out of me - there is no BETA-ing and I'm just winging it ;)

Athelstan had been walking in the woods when he tripped on a felled log he had not noticed - a familiar giggle and khol rimmed eyes looked down at him as he winced at the twist in his ankle.

"Watch your step Priest! The woods know!" He said, Athelstan bit back a sigh, of all the people in this heathen land he was most wary of it was Floki, if his actions in his own church weren't galling enough he had heard talk among the other vikings. Rumors and scuttlebutt about Floki's trespasses within their own religion and customs that only his association with Ragnar kept him safe.

Perhaps in that respect they were no different. Floki just giggled more as Athelstan hauled himself to standing with a wince and then at once sitting on the log that had felled him in his path.

Floki tapped at Athelstan's knee and hauled the injured leg up onto his lap to inspect the damage, noting how even now Athelstan tensed at touch, his pupils blow wide as if drunk on the sensation of human contact. He loved to do this, to prod at the touch staved, to tease and to see the strange little man struggle to fight what his body was starved for. Conflict and Chaos! What fun!

"You should rest a minute, don't damage yourself more." Floki said as he tugged the shoe off Athelstan's foot gently to check for swelling, keeping it elevated and marveling at the man's lily white foot, fingers skittering a the river-stone smooth sole. That made him flinch even more and the priests' toes clench.

Athelstan was confused, Floki confused him greatly all the time, he could be so careful as well as so crazed, he was kind to Ragnar's children and wife and yet he remembers how he cut down his brothers at the monastery with a monstrous glee. He realized he was staring at the man who's smile cracked across his face in toothy mischief.

"Tell me, Ragnar said that your Dead Christ was a carpenter - do you find it co-incidental that he was nailed to a cross?"

"Jesus Christ was raised by a carpenter by his earthly father Joseph." Athelstan corrected "I believe that he too took on the trade."

"Perhaps that is why your English things are made so well, you worship a dead god of carpentry!" Floki, genuinely interested in all things to do with wood working, trees, sailing and building as he was setting things on fire and rendering things apart. And the latest sport he knew was plucking and needling at the Priest, watching his world view unfurl, his discomfort was oddly endearing to Floki, just as when he'd sneak bugs into Helga's hair and she'd shriek monstrously and beat her hard little hands against him like a beautiful beserker.

Athelstan looked away uncomfortably, he was frankly sick of the teasing, he had lived as a monk away from lay people for so long that he forgot the casual cruelties of strangers. "He is not dead, he is risen, he suffered so that man would be redeemed." his words came out shaky in his breath, anger and sadness shook at his soul.

A gently, rubbing touch on his injured ankle soothed at the muscle and the delicate tendon.

"Loki suffered too - he was bound to a stone, while the poison of a snake burned him, dripping from his fangs. His only respite was wife, holding a bowl to catch the burning poison, only until it filled, then the agony would start anew. It is why sometimes the world trembles..." Floki said softly, sincerely and awed, he felt the tension in Athelstan tentatively ease.

"I... I think I can walk now. Thank you Floki." Soflty Athelstan touched Floki's shoulder.

"Why not stay a while - I want to talk mo..." Floki stopped in the middle of his word, his sharp ears hear a small presence, a child's.

"I was following Gyda, we were looking for berries."

"Ah. I saw a bush near by - You can walk now." Floki released Athelstan's leg.

"Thank you."

"Nah, thank this tree for tripping you." He giggled and patted the partially stripped tree they sat on as fondly as a man patted a good dog. That made Athelstan laugh as well, his smile softening his boyish face and the light in his eyes shine now with joy rather than the chill of fear, oh - if Floki had thought his discomfort was amusing, the fire of his eyes made him hunger. He was always hungry, and fire encourages more fire - so he leans in and kisses him, quickly if a bit clumsily, noses crush and teeth clash.

The part with a soft gasp and a crackle of branches, Athelstan reels away and Floki looks around in case of a danger, his ax in his hand from where he'd wedged it in the tree earlier.

Gyda stood there with berries stained lips and tears in her eyes, she spun around and bolted away.

"Gyda!" Athelstan stood up, despite the lingering pain he ran after her, she was his charge that day and her welfare was his responsibility. Of course he cared for the girl, she listened without judgment and asked with earnest interest when he spoke, Athelstan had few friends and he could not afford to be alone. He barely registered what had transpired on the log when Floki kissed him - Floki KISSED him! The shock was still rankling him, the audacity of it and the niggling, damming feel of attraction. 

His hand clasped over his mouth, the sensation of lips, teeth and beard fresh on his skin like a brand - not looking where he was going he almost tripped up again - Gyda had stopped running to slump against a rock and to cry.

"Oh Gyda, why did you run off?" Athelstan knelt down next to her gently petting her shoulder, she whipped around and batted his hand off her "I hate you." She looked exactly as Lagertha did when she was angry, in her eyes, the set of her mouth so he stepped back a pace and waited with hands held out, palms bared.

"I am sorry. I tripped on the tree and Floki helped me - then afterwards - even I am not sure what happened."

"You can be as thick as Bjorn sometimes!" She huffed angrily, her tears had stopped.

"Am I still your friend?" He asked hopefully, using the edge of his tunic to clean her wet face.

"Yes. I just... I just thought." She muttered something low and looked away.

"What?"

"Thought you liked me... wantedtodothattoyou..." She muffled against his tunic as she hugged him, breath shuddering and hating the prickle of new tears.

It took a few seconds for him to cotton on to what she had meant by that and when he did he was almost as shocked by it as Floki's kiss before. 

"Oh... Oh sweet child bless your innocence. Bless you." He prayed for strength and guidance, he had virtually no experience with women, he didn't know what to even say anymore.

"You do not want an old man like me child. I can be your friend, nothing more, Floki simply surprised me - he is always like that to me. He simply teases, it is just sport to him." Athelstan scoops the girl up in his arms warmly and holds her "Come on, we shall wash our faces and go home."

She nods and clings to him, hand gently threading through his hair, at the shorter strands where his tonsure was cut, her sparrow heart beating in his arms. Over her shoulder Athelstan saw Floki peering from the woods, a hand holding out a full basket of berries and a barely contained sense of amusement at the whole thing. Once he took the basket he disappeared into the green so that Gyda would not see as Athelstan cradled her back home, oh he remembers when Gyda was even younger still the way she'd playfully cling to Floki's leg and look up at him with innocent love. He giggle, he laughed, he fell to the floor heaving great laughter at the strange, bewitching man and the fickle affections of children.


	2. Silly Men

Back in the house Gyda went to help her mother cook - she missed nothing of her daughters mood - so then she left her keeping an eye on the food. She went to Athelstan's side as he was clumsily, but improving in skill, was weaving a basket. Tongue between teeth and eyes intently weaving the reed, head down as he once did in prayer he kept working when Lagertha approached him.

"You only weave this well when you are anxious priest. What happened today?" She knew about Gyda's little crush on the man, Gyda has a long history of innocent crushes - later in life perhaps she would have men in the palm of her hand but for now her mother loomed largely behind her in case any man got too familiar.

"I... I fell on a tree that Floki had felled..."

Lagertha had an idea on where this story was heading.

"I twisted my ankle a little and he - was strangely kind to me despite his usual antagonizing and then - then he did something.... he... he kissed me?" His face went so red Lagertha was sure she could cook toasted bread on him. "Gyda saw and was upset by it - frankly so was I. So I ran after her, she was upset that it was not her... doing that to me..." His throat constricted and he felt a bit sweaty - talking about something that was nothing more than a chaste kiss was still hard to talk about without the pang of shame.

"Floki has strange ways, what were you talking about?"

"Uh... about... about Jesus Christ - you remember the story about his earthly family with Joseph and Mary?" Lagertha nodding, she liked the part about the manger recalling when she first felt her water break with Bjorn whilst feeding the pigs in their pen, but didn't for a second buy the 'Immaculate Conception' part of it all. "Well, we spoke about caprentry briefly and why the ground shakes, I've heard of the ground shaking in other parts when I travel but the ground stayed still all the time ba-" Lagertha held her hand up and then cut him off, he was rambling nervously.

"Breathe."

Athelstan nodded, closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, he could smell dinner cooking and when he opened his eyes Lagertha was smiling at him in a fond and kind way. That always helped, there were very few who were kind to him in this place and when it came from Lagertha it was always reassuring that he was doing well enough to earn it from her.

"I think he did what he did because he likes you, you are a like in some important ways. You are men who's god or gods are important and I trust you. Floki doesn't see his differences among us as a bad thing, neither did Ragnar, having him as a friend and a loyal one at that has paid off for them both. You my Priest, struggle with yourself." Lagertha bit her lip, there are only three people currently who know really about some of Floki's more taboo activities - the Seiðr - though his preferences for both men and women are more well known and overlooked because his skill as a ship builder is much too valuable to their people to loose.

"I am not a free man - I have more liberties but by all rights I am your slave." He shuddered still but kept his eyes up at Lagertha "But that... what he wants from me. It is such a sin that I would never be redeemed. I know it is frowned upon and at times violently opposed by your people as well but Floki... he is different. He thinks it is funny to antagonize and tease and yet..." He bites his lip hard fidgets with his beard, he's never had it this long and the sensation is calming.

"You hide your desires deep inside Athelstan, he prefers to hide his in plain sight, if he kisses you again without your permission you should cut out his tongue!" She advised brightly "I will check on the food before Gyda burns it." She jumped up and left him to his thoughts. 

Later Ragnar had returned, the events of the day retold to him by Lagertha, he naturally laughed till he almost pissed himself. Athelstan did not appreciate that, so he simply turned away from husband and wife to sulk by the doorstep, enjoying the cool breeze and the last breath of dusk. A heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder then cuffed and ruffled his over grown hair fondly, Ragnar always pawed at him like one would pet a faithful dog. Athelstan did not care to mull on that thought for too long and Ragnar thrust a full horn cup into his hand with an order to drink and a sly sidelong grin.

"So, it was only a matter of time before Floki decided to take a kiss from you - don't worry he's done that to everyone. Man, woman maybe a horse or two. No one could accuse anyone of being that unmanly if it happened to everyone. Covers all the bases wouldn't you say ha!" He chuckled, remembering the many kisses he'd shared with his intensely odd best friend.

"Even you?" Athelstan gasped into his cup

"I was the horse! Of course, man gets lonely on a long boat ride, also Lagertha likes to watch us kiss and touch each other, she gets to once on her birthday every year." Ragnar felt pretty proud of himself, he toasted to himself against Athelstan's cup as the man gawped at him openly.

"Close your mouth or a fly will go in it." He recalls telling Bjorn the same thing and smirks.

"I just... it's a lot to take in. If a man did that in a town where I was from he would be killed." He gulped feeling rather queasy and it was not from the ale Ragnar had given him.

"You didn't kill Floki, Rollo almost did but Floki knows how to climb and survive in a tree for three days till Rollo gave up and forgot about it. Did you like it? He's very accommodating."

"Nuh uh I... shouldn't like it - my vows might not mean anything to your people but congress with another man is just not... he infuriates me!" Athelstan swallowed down his ale quickly attempting to put some coolness against his burning face.

"Ha! Good to see it isn't just Gyda who sweet on a silly man. You like him!"

"I do not!"

"You do! And he likes you!"

"He likes to tease me."

"Its probably because all the tight little knots you tie yourself up in unravel when he does." Ragnar shoved him playfully

"I am fine as I am." He tried to keep a stiff upper lip but it wasn't easy with Ragnar's strong, heavy hand rubbing up and down his spine like one would a nervous cat.

"Relax." He purred as Athelstan struggled to slowly unfurl, the liquor helped too, they stayed that way until Gyda peered at them from behind when the food was ready. She looked at her father and the hand on her beloved Athelstan's back and harrumphed.


	3. Knots and Buckets

Untangling some fishing net with his back against the back of the house, Athelstan enjoyed the warmth from the heath when he pressed himself against the side of the thatch. As he worked he heard Bjorn's voice coming up - he was hard to miss - he could be nasal at times and occasionally, embarrassingly squeaky - as he was arguing with Gyda.

"Go to your little Priest then! Maybe one day you'll latch onto a real man for a change urgh! OWW!" Bjorn wailed as Gyda smacked him on the side of the head with the bucket (luckily it wasn't a heavy one) that she had been carrying.

"I hate you!" They both shouted at each other in the same petulant, angry way young siblings did - he stood up to try to interject but saw Gyda running past and an inflamed and bruised Bjorn running the opposite direction. He followed Gyda, calling her name and grabbing her gently but tightly by the arms.

"Gyda! Did you hit your brother?"

"No! His fat head fell onto my bucket!" Her blue eyes blazed with the same wrath he'd seen in Lagertha - the similarities between mother and daughter became apparent the minute the women were angry. 

"Child, you should not hit your brother, I know Bjorn can get fustrate..." he was cut off by Gyda shoving her bony little fists into his solar plexas.

"No! Why do you let him? Why don't you defend yourself when he teases you? Why do you let him do that?" It was clear that she wasn't referring to just Bjorn's huffy adolescent male posturing.

"Because conflict isn't always the answer, sometimes it is best to turn the other cheek?"

"Cheek? Make sense!" Her eyes narrowed but her furies calming

"It means to forgive those who... trespass against you."

"You didn't seem to mind when Floki trespassed on your face!"

"Uh... that. Well I forgive him, he will require my permission if he so wants to... trespass again and let me tell you I will not be forthcoming! He will just have to accept that!" He took her hands in his, kissed her knuckles and pulled her into a gentle hug in which she sighed and un-clenched.

"And people say Floki is the strangest one. I think I was just jealous." Her soft cheek rubs against the roughness now growing on his.

"When you are old enough - I will owe you a kiss. How does that sound?"

"Ok."

"Just don't hit your brother with buckets anymore."

"Can I still hit him with my shoe?"

"If you think it would help?"

Gyda laughed at that, Athelstan got her to help with the nets and that's how Ragnar found them when he came looking for them after a red face Bjorn raged at him.

"When you are a shieldmaiden, and go on a raid - bring the bucket!" Ragnar leaned down and laid a sloppy, loudly smacking kiss against her ear which made Gyda screech and wriggle away.

Floki appeared behind him holding a lump of cheese whilst grinning down at them. Athelstan paled a little and went back to the netting.

"Leave it, come eat!" Ragnar smirked as he picked up Gyda like a sack over his shoulder and smacked her once for bucketing her brother, she kicked him in the ribs and all was forgiven.

Floki grabbed Athelstan's arm and tugged him along into the house and the ale and mead started to flow - Lagertha, Helga and Gyda with a very sullen Bjorn brought out the food and they all ate well of smoked eel and rabbits that Floki had caught.

"I don't think I will be using this method of killing rabbits again, all the bones fragment too much. Works better for bigger game though."

"How did you do kill them?" Ragnar inquired, leaning against Lagertha.

"Climb a tree with a big rock, wait till one passes and then drop it on it."

"That sounds stupid."

"If you don't like it then give me back the rabbit you just ate."

"Later, along with the bread and the eel too!"

They all laughed at the vulgar humor - it seemed a recurring theme among the Vikings to try and out do each other with crude stories and insults.

Bjorn naturally was gasping for air laughing at this, Lagertha laughing at Bjorn's laughing - everyone was having a good time of it, even Athelstan until he felt Floki's hand touching his thigh.

He moves so fast it was unnatural.

"Please don't." He whispered, trying to inch away.

"I am sorry - though I am not sorry I kissed you!" He said merrily, Helga was watching intently at them both and Athelstan felt trapped suddenly.

"Relax, drink!" Floki topped up the cup he'd just managed to finish all the way full, knew by now that it was incredibly insulting to not drink what you have been freely offered so he drank as best he could. 

Ragnar was busy kissing at Lagertha's neck while Helga rubbed her back whilst keeping an eye on Floki and Athelstan, Bjorn was on the floor snoring and Gyda was glaring daggers at Floki.

"Oh Sweet Flower, come to your uncle Floki, I will not kiss him again without your express permission." He tapped beside himself and Gyda huffed and sat down.

"You used to love me - your father would dump you in my arms because you would cry and cry and you would stop. He paid me extra to do so and not tell Lagertha." He hugged her and tickled her playfully

"OWCH!" Lagertha, upon hearing this smacked Ragnar upside the head.

"Get out of my house!" Ragnar laughed

"No I think I shall be rude and stay!" Floki giggled

Helga took charge and hauling a drunk Bjorn up she took him and her sister to bed so the adults could talk...

Ragnar punched Floki hard on the shoulder - they shoved each other around and play wrestled like two big dogs for a while and all was forgiven, a sweaty Ragnar peeled off his shirt and stretched out by the fire. 

"Priest, sit with us here." Floki was sitting closer to the flame waving his hands through it before he could burn.

Wordlessly Athelstan slid to his knees next to them, awkward as ever but the ale made him clumsy enough to eventually sit up next to Ragnar.

Lagertha joined them, she'd pulled off her tunic wearing only her under shift, bare legs spread out - Athelstan found himself staring at her.

"See something you like Priest?" She asked, spreading them appart - Ragnar grinned stupidly, craning his neck for a better look up her shift.

"Nn..no." 

"Liar." Ragnar snickered. "Did you know, Floki, that not that long after I brought him into my home, I offered him a place in our bed? And you know what he did - he said no - and went back to his chanting."

"He obviously desires you both - but his god says no." Floki shrugged, finding that he empathized a tiny bit with him but still found it absurd to suppress what was so obviously a natural and fundamental part of being alive and human. Helga returned, topless, she sat down next to Lagertha,

"The boy sleeps deep and snoring, Gyda fussed but she is asleep."

"Thank you."

Athelstan was starting to scoot away from the group but Ragnar caught him and pulled him closer.

"You must stay." Ragnar said firmly, the women tittered, Helga crawled over to Lagertha and kissed her. Ragnar grinned wide, seems like he was getting his birthday gift early. Floki watched as well, he crawled over to gently sweep up Helga's hair into a bun so they had a better view, she kissed him in thanks then he sat next to Athelstan, boxing him in between Ragnar.

"Are they not beautiful?" Ragnar opined - Athelstan's face was red as blood - two woman couldn't... could they? They were embracing, touching each other's bodies and kissing, the concept of what two men do, he understood, sodomy was a capital sin and crime and yet he never thought woman could do these types of things. He unconsciously curled his knees up to his chest to hide the uncomfortable sensation between his legs.

He all but squeaked when Floki's nimble fingers had tip toed up under his shirt and rubbed at the small of his back - the women laughed at that but they were very much involved with each other.

"You're hot, like a stone left in the heath fire." Floki whispered into his ear as his nails raked his skin lightly, this made Athelstan tremble. Normally, Floki would have pinned the boy down and devoured him, but he was too fine to break and Floki was nothing if not a craftsman.

"Do... oh... oh." He question forgotten as Lagertha slid her finger between Helga's legs.

Floki's hand slid to the front of Athelstan's shirt and stroked his chest, not muscular or lean and boyishly spare of hair but delightful, like a smoothly planed wood, nipples like whorls that elicited a keening gasp out of him.

The women writhed against each other, kissing, sucking, licking - Athelstan almost stood up and bolted when he saw where Helga's head dove down into but the two men beside him kept him still. He didn't know where to look, when he turned to Ragnar the man was stroking himself, and nuzzling against him and on the other side Floki's mouth pressed against his neck as his hand reached between his legs and stroked him through his clothes.

"I shouldn't be - please - please stop!" He burned with shame, God help him, he was enjoying the women, enjoying the men, there was nothing hurting him, he felt pleasure, lust and it overwhelmed him. Floki's hand slowly moved off the other mans' cock.

"What is it?" He asked, hand now smoothing Athelstan's fringe, Ragnar crawled ahead to get in on the action, an quick look over his shoulder to Floki for permission and to Athelstan, he will never understand how anyone could say no to sex. Floki nodded and steered Athelstan to the fire, rubbing at his arms and soothing him.

"I'm sorry. I don't know if I can do this. I come from a place where... where we barely even touch, and in this place, I've never seen so much... in all my life. I want... but it is a sin. It is all a terrible, terrible sin!"

Floki couldn't help but cluck his tongue at that, frankly he was over the word "Sin" - he said it aloud and disdainfully "Ugly little word, I hate it. Are you not alive? Do you not feel the heat in your body? They kept you like an infant, blinded you from what the body wants till you are as cold as the frigid little heap of stones you call a temple, worshiping your stone dead god." Floki felt Athelstan resist, perhaps he should change tact.

"Listen, stay if you want, I won't touch you anymore but you live here now. You're strange to us but still beautiful." Floki curled a lock of hair between two fingers

"You think I'm beautiful?" Athelstan looked up

"Mnmnhn" Floki grinned broadly and stroked his face, he could hear his wife's sharp little whimpers as she joined Lagertha and Ragnar, he sighed, he wanted to join that - have somewhere to sleep between sweaty bodies and Ragnar's bony knees in his back and Lagertha's snores in his ear. 

"Are you... I, well, your wife?" Athelstan ducked his head, not sure how to best ask how a man lets another man lay with his wife.

"She'll be fine, lets get some air hmmn?" Floki stood up and stretched his long legs, he went over to the threesome, slapped Ragnar a hard and stinging smack to the arse and told them he was going for a walk with Athelstan. Ragnar threw a boot at Floki's head and cursed him between grunts and thrusts, permission granted Floki pulled Athelstan outside.

They left the house to the sounds of skin on skin and gasped cries.


	4. If God Sees, does he Care?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short little chapter - I have started a new job but don't worry there will be another two or so chapters, the next one after this has already been started :) It's good to write something that isn't corporate mambojimbo XD

Floki regretted leaving his shirt back in the house but he's weathered worse and soon forgot about the cool night air as he and Athelstan walked to the edge of the water, Floki stopped by a boulder and scampered atop it to sit cross legged-ed.

 

Athelstan stood in front of him, Floki's the other man's unconscious habit of holding his hands in front of himself from years of pious prayer and cloistered life, even now so far from it, he held hands together and fidgeted nervously with the cross that had moved from above his heart to a secret wrapped around his wrist. Floki knew what it was like to hold a secret, Ragnar, Lagertha and Helga knew of his Sedir, they believed in it too, they trusted Floki's spells and offerings because they knew him deeply, as friend, lover and knew him as the warrior, craftsman, a good host, loyal and all the virtues a man of their people held with high regard. Perhaps that is why Floki was chosen to understand that one and the other existed at the same time - where he saw a balance where others see chaos, and well, chaos was fun too and weather he knew it or not the little priest was in a fresh new world of it.

"You can go back to them." The priest offered.

"No, out here is nice." He lied, inside would be nicer but he had the priest all to himself - he slapped Athelstan's clasped hands apart and stood close to him, towering over him easily taking his face between his hands and kissing him hard.

Athelstan tried to move away but it was a feeble gesture at best and his nervous hands found purchase on Floki's narrow, bony hips. Mirthfully Athelstan thought to himself - If Gyda had seen this she would be furious and jealous as hell - if God had seen... He pulled away and stepped back.

"What? Why do you stop?" Floki could not help but fustrated with the constant stop start of it all.

"God sees... he has seen - he knows and I am damned!" Floki rolled his eyes and grabbed him in for another kiss, more demanding, wanting to push the thoughts of this petty, interrupting, intervening god from the man's body so that he could have it for his playground.'

"Damned? I don't know that word, I don't like it - you're what Ragnar says you are and by extension me - who is here and who wants you and not your dead man!" Floki's hands were all over Athelstan's and the boy's restraint was failing him. Athelstan ground into Floki's hand when it pawed and stroked at his cock over his tunic and deftly slipped in.

"I know you want me... and this... its burning you." Athelstan nodded, tears sliding down his cheek as he much too quickly spent himself into Floki's palm. Floki took his come covered hand and licked most of it off, slowly, making sure that the other man saw before diving his fingers into Athelstan's mouth for him to suck away the remains. Floki's own cock ached for it's own release, so he shimmied his pants off and laid them both on the soft grass;

"Touch me." He offered his lithe body, legs spread, long cock jutting upwards. Athelstan touched it, nervously and still rather tremble but with Floki's guidance he started to jack him at a comfortable pace, despite the work he had done since coming into the possession of Ragnar his hands were as soft as a maids.

"Like that - faster!" He kissed him in encouragement - Athelstan finaly was letting go, kissing back with sloppy enthusiasm, all teeth, noses and smeared spit and tears. If he was dammed then he would be dammed - there was no going back - and if god was watching he surly didn't care enough to stop it, where was he to stop anything, the raid, his fellow brothers murdered, his family killed by plauge long ago. When Floki came he was a little shocked, the gravity of what he was doing starting to pull more than his doubts but Floki, despite the dismal afterglow from rather rough and clumsy hand-job noticed and pulled him into his long arms, kissed his face and neck. He giggled, mirroring some of Athelstan's nervous energy,

"Wasn't so bad hmmmn? Felt good." For an uncharitable moment he considered giving the man back to Gyda for her to keep, then he laughed again and thought no, he'd keep this stupid, pious, young tree and to carve him into something beautiful.

He felt as though he'd only just peeled past the surface and under, oh he could feel it as surly as he'd felt the weight and heat of the man's cock in his hand...


	5. Threads all connected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wahaha sorry about the delay - turns out work is a horrible thing that fills me with anxiety and cock-blocks my creativity! Next chapter, probs will be better porn - I am dissatisfied with the previous chapter but it turns out dinky slice of life stuff is what I like to write best. Hang in though - I'm not gonna leave a dude hanging :)
> 
> So the sedir aspect starts to really appear here as opposed to something rather abstract and lightly touched upon.

When they returned to the house Ragnar was dozing by the fire with Lagertha while Helga was sitting naked on a chair, she'd washed her hair quickly and was braiding it into twin plaits. Floki grabbed one and waggled it "You know I can't help but try and ride you like a horse when you do this". She batted his hand away "Not my fault the only thing I can braid on you is your ball hair." She stood up and kissed him, smiling at Athelstan who could not drag his eyes from the floor. 

Floki grabbed them all by the hand and dragged them to a spot by the fire to get some sleep, Helga liked to sleep with her chest against Floki's back and a leg draped over him as if she were clinging piggyback - Floki had to cajole Athelstan into his arms, back to front so he could press his bearded cheek against the top of the other man's head, he fit easily in his arms and was comfortable once he stopped tensing.

Floki stayed awake till it was almost dawn, he was not one to sleep much through the night, he liked to watch through the darkness - through the fading heath fire as this world peeled back just a little where the gods peered back right at the edge of night. 

He could the tangle of threads that only patience could untangle in time - tearing at the tangle and the knots simply cinch tighter. He followed the longest thread and saw that Ragnar held it, Ragnar pulled the thread and didn't let it go. The strands at times slipped from his hands when he was distracted, there was a low, muffled sound that jolted him with a gasp - the vision ended. Helga had felt when Floki was experiencing the vision and woke just before he could do some damage to himself, when the trickster comes to him he will wake up clawing himself and wild eyed but in any battle after it he emerges unscathed. Not all visions are the same and Helga knows what to do when they come, her mother was one who could See as well but not as deeply as Floki sees - she grabs a cool wet cloth and puts it on the back of his neck and gets him to calm down. When Floki can see clearly he grins up at his beautiful wife and kisses her, giggling and gleeful.

"Oh... how good you are to me." He beamed.

"Did you see?"

"Mmnmmn, Threads... threads... threads..." He hummed, dehydrated and shivering a little he turned his head to see Ragnar grinning at him, his hand loosley holding onto a strand of rope, part of the very same that he'd used to tether Athelstan - where was Athelstan? He looked around and the boy was not there but he can't have gone far. 

Helga knew Floki was recovered so she let him be and got up to start a breakfast for when everyone awoke later. Ragnar peeled himself from Lagertha who slept deeply to whisper into Floki's ear "Have fun with him?"

"Mmnmnn" Floki shifted closer to the other man "You still hold the rope to him - you always will."

"What did you see."

"The details fade sometimes... but I know what has to be done, I suspected it - though knowing him it would be like coaxing a cat to work as a dog. He does look like a puppy, I would not mind mounting him like a dog." That made Ragnar giggle and growl, Ragnar loved terrible innuendo and Floki was a treasury of them if just because they exasperated Rollo to no end.

"Today we start our harvesting - how are you and Helga?"

"Fine, we have grain, salted meats, pickled things... do you need an extra hand?"

"No, Athelstan is a good farmer - works hard. Sings too much."

"Because when you sing it is so much better." Floki teased, for his good looks, good memory for poems and songs Ragnar's singing could empty a hall like a great fart. That earned a hard punch to the arm - the noise woke Lagertha who was crumpled and irritated, she kicked them both hard as she got up to go help Helga, muttering about the uselessness of men.

Floki laughed and they both eventually dragged themselves up to start the day's chores and tasks.

Ragnar went outside to find the tree he liked to piss at, far from the house but not too far and had a nice view of the lake, down by the shore he could see Athelstan washing himself down in the cold water, perhaps mid crisis. He rolled his eyes to that and went about his morning ablutions wondering what the gods had in store for him by bringing this strange little slip of a man into his life and by extension Floki's. He had gone West for plunder and some slaves only to return with more to worry about, next raid after winter he swore he'd bring back only material wealth and perhaps some of that shitty red wine the English were so fond of.


	6. With the Grain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ha! I didn't ever think I'd use this fic's title within the story - is that some kind of bingo?
> 
> Things heat up! More of my Floki head cannon in this too.

As the days got shorter and colder the priority became working the farm and stockpiling supplies - chopping wood, smoking and salting fishes, making cheeses, baking bread and preserves as well as brewing beers and ales in large quantities. The shortest day and the longest night was approaching - Athelstan realized what time of year it was as he hauled two heavy buckets from the lake up to the house... he had been so busy helping Ragnar's family prepare for the winter that he had forgotten everything about his faith. He put the buckets down and sat down by the animal enclosure, head in his dirty hands, cross still tied between his wrists but now marked and worn in places. He wasn't unhappy, Ragnar and Lagertha made sure he ate, they didn't hurt him, they wanted him to learn and they were kind to him - Gyda was always kind to him and even Bjorn was warming up to him. And of course there was Floki... as the Serpent had slithered into the Eden tricking Eve to partake of the fruit from the tree of Knowledge... he now felt like a man without his faith, and a faithless man was damned. He had fornicated (well in his mind the rough mutual hand-job counted as fornication), he had lusted, he had sinned and he had waited for the blow from above, to feel like the damned. Athelstan is still very much ashamed of what he had done but his life here, demanding and at times harsh, was also just as happy, content, safe and he felt valued and cared for.

A hard finger poked his side which made him squeak and look up - it was Bjorn - who had grown so tall now that it seemed he would be as tall as his uncle and loom over his father eventually. 

"Bjorn, is there something that needs to be done?"

"Mother threw me out of the kitchen for being in her way, she said to go to Floki's to check on them and to barter for some things. Want to come with instead of sitting here dreaming?" 

"Yes. Yes I would like that."

"Good - hold this." Bjorn thrust a wrapped parcel of bread to barter Floki with, Gyda had snuck Athelstan the little toasted ends from the fresh bread because she knew he liked the crunchy bits and Lagertha bakes as she fights. Efficiently and remorselessly.

Athelstan was all too keen to visit Floki's home since he hadn't seen him more than a handful of times since that night - during one of those times he had drunk a lot and Floki pulled him into the forest to kiss him breathlessly.

"Priest! Come On!" Bjorn huffed, it was cold out and he wanted to do this chore quickly before it got dark and colder still. Athelstan stood up straight and started walking briskly to keep up with Bjorn who scampered ahead, Floki's land was not too far away but daylight was starting to fade by the time they got there. Helga was sitting outside wrapped in a fur as she milked the goats, she sang in a reedy but pretty voice and added to her singing "Bjoooorrnn Ragnar Son! At-thel-stan!".

"Helga! We bring bread to barter - but we might have to impose because nightfall is almost upon as."

"Pfft, impose nothing - help me bring in this milk and we can have it with the bread. Floki is in the house repairing the roof." She dusted herself off and lead them in. Floki was standing on a chest, shirtless despite the cold, hammer in hand staring upwards observing his handiwork, he twisted around quickly to greet them.

"Bjorn! Athelstan - oohh Lagertha's bread?" Bjorn nodded and Floki cackled gleefully.

"Stay for food, it's too dark outside."

Floki kept swinging the hammer around full of a nervous energy, which was partially why Helga left the house to brave milking the goats in the cold because Floki was in a strange mood.

"Let me take that." Helga took the bread and served them plates of cured fish, some mulled mead and the bread. "Floki eat." She said, he hadn't eaten in a while but she was good at reading his hunger, sometimes he just didn't eat much but sometimes he was ravenous, she rubbed his back and kissed him. 

"You're as bad as my parents." Bjorn curled his lip - because he was still a boy despite his posturing as a man.

"Pfft you're sounding as pious as the priest." Floki snickered, Athelstan felt a bit stung by that and looked hurt where as Bjorn reeled at the comparison.

"No! Nuh uh! Never!"

"Oh stop looking like I kicked you. Drink up. Tell me some stories!" Floki sat up close to Athelstan and poured him a cup.

"Sometimes I feel like my stories aren't all that good."

"I'll say, except about the one with the giant!" Bjorn for the most part had no patience for Athelstan's stories, it was Gyda who actively sought out stories from him and he'd exhausted the stories he saw fit to tell her from the Bible. He thought briefly to his Gospel, now stored under the floorboards of the house, buried like a dead cat, out of sight and almost forgotten.

Floki's eyes bulged the khol he wore made his already pronounced eyes stand out even more - his interest piqued.

"A Jotun!?" He didn't think the Christians believed in Giants.

"Jotun? I think Bjorn means the story of David and Goliath... but I don't want to tell that story anymore." The more he thought about his faith or lack of it it, or the somewhat hollow feeling that creeps up on him when he isn't being kept busy or if he wakes up late at night unable to sleep.

"Come now are you not a priest of your god? You mention Giants - Loki was a Jotun... in a way... many of the gods are descendants of Jotuns." Floki tops up Athelstan's cup.

"Huh, I was never a priest though Ragnar calls me that, I was a monk, too young still to be a priest... I am not even a monk now." Athelstan downs his cup, feeling quite maudlin "I think it must be nearly Christmas - a holy day. When Christ was born into this world to save us from evil, to sacrifice his life for ours so that we would be spared damnation..." Athelstan's started to cry despite himself.

"PFfttt." Bjorn huffed and rolled his eyes, Helga cuffs his ear for being rude and he mutters an apology.

"Tsch, holy day. Every day is important and meaningless from the beginning to Ragnarok." Floki pulled Athelstan's face up, cleaning the tears with a clean piece of rag - wondering how pretty his big eyes would look with khol smeared around them. He sang a soft little nonsense song and pinched him hard.

"Why? OWwwwwwwwwch!" That set off a fit of laughter from Floki

"Not up set now huh?" When he did that to a sulking Ragnar it would earn him a bruising punch to the arm (or hard kick up the pants) and put the other man in a better mood, if he did it to Rollo he'd be chased around camp three times before Rollo gave up or lucked out and caught him. That ends usually with both of them beating the crap out of each other - the little monk just looked at him all hurt and confused, sniffing in a deep breath he stuck out his chin and punched Floki back in the arm, just a tap but it was the first crackle in the embers. Oh yes there was definitely some fight in the boy!

"Aup up up! Sloppy little pup, worse than your father." Bjorn had snuck in some more mead and it was stronger than he was used to so now he was slumping dreamily against Helga's chest.

"Take him to bed." Floki laughed and pinched Bjorn's flushed cheek, Bjorn angrily batted him away was too drunk to be very effective.

Helga kissed Floki and whispered something in his ear that made him snort before leaving with Bjorn.

"He is a good child, I have grown very fond of Gyda and Bjorn. Being a monk I sacrificed any notion of knowing fatherhood. You and Helga are very good with Ragnar and Lagertha's children... do you have any children Floki?" Athelstan asked, curious since many of the families that made up the Viking community had quite a few children since the harvests have been fairly reliable the past few years.

A hard, even pained look came about Floki, his posture stiffened and he turned to look at the fire.

"Once, it did not live past two. And then none after that." He said with a brittle edge to his voice - the death of their only child was devastating - he had prayed to the gods, weaved all the sedir he knew - the day they buried the infant his visions started. He had been able to see since he was a little boy but after the death it became stronger, deeper sedir, sometimes powerful but also frightening and dangerous.

Athelstan closed his eyes and out of rote habit said a quick silent prayer, he opened his eyes, feeling a little odd praying again for anything after so long but the way Floki sat hunched by the fire, the effervescence of his spirit gone flat. He did not say anything, simply sat closer to him, finding Floki's cup and pouring him some more to drink, it helped and soon the pain eased into the background, Floki put the cup down after draining it and pulled Athelstan into a hungry kiss.

It wasn't all that bad, the gods have given him the sight so he could see and now all he wanted was to see Athelstan laid bare. Wearing a collection of lovingly made and re-constructed pieces of clothing that was once Ragnar's, Floki's strong hands made short work of stripping away the heavy winter layers like so much bark off a freshly felled tree he admired the boy's body, still young, skin free of any scar from battle or fighting, pale as fresh milk with only a light dusting of hair save for the little thicket between his legs. Still so innocent he hid himself from view by pulling his legs up a little but Floki simply pulled them down and spread them a little. Athelstan sat up, flushed and aroused.

"Wh... what are you doing?"

As he said this Floki peeled off his own pants and pressed his body against the other man's, silencing him with more kisses, hands working his flanks and sides like a lathe with and then against the grain. Cocks butting against each other's Floki grinds against him, enveloping them both in a hand slicked with spit.

Before Athelstan fronted a feeble attempt to stop him Floki slid down his body and took his cock in his mouth. Stunned by this he sat up a little to look down at Floki's balding head bobbing up and down as he sucked him, mischief in his eyes, Athelstan thought he should be disgusted but instead he bucked into that inferno mouth and shouted.

"GOD DAMN. GOD DAMN!" God and every Choir of Angels in Heaven could enter this little house that brittle cold night and he wouldn't have known it. Floki pulled away a little, not wanting him to spill too quick, slicking a ring finger in spit and come as best he could to work it between his cheeks and push in just enough but not too deep since he was so tight.

He didn't last too much longer, Floki swallowed some and kissed the rest back into Athelstan's mouth making him taste and swallow his own come, shivering in afterglow he knelt above him, jacking his cock at the sight of him, debauched, not quite despoiled just yet - he was like a flower being plucked petal by petal. He came on his chest and some splattered onto his face, Floki smeared it into his skin and slipped his fingers into his mouth all bitter and salty.

"God damn" He cursed softly as Floki licked him clean.


	7. Blessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woah I have not left you dear readers, I have just been slavin' away at work and trying not to cry even just thinking about that Comic Con sneak peak - also butt mad that I could not go to Comic Con (being halfway on the other side of the planet does not help either)
> 
> More supernatural themes in this - a visit from everyone's favorite god of mischief and generally being a jerk - Loki!

The ice storm that night made it too dangerous for Bjorn and Athelstan to return - everything was still as if twilight itself froze over - but the cold outside would seep even through the thickest fur, the ground was frozen capped with black ice and deep snowdrifts would swallow you whole.

Bjorn sighed, watching his breath crystallize, he had very happily nuzzled up against Helga, though if his hands roamed he was treated to a hard and painful pinch so he behaved himself. He had only awoken because Helga's soft, warm little body had left his side, he heard voices, a pained gasp, turning around Bjorn saw something he was not meant to see.

Floki was in a place of vision, he had stripped down naked which was dangerous, his skin was blue in places and he was standing in the corner of the house gasping and clawing at himself.

His pale eyes had gone white over, the timber and sound of his voice was not his, Floki was there still but someone else was in the shipwright too.

Athelstan had only seen a possessed man once and it had gripped his heart with fear like a frozen vice, colder than the ice storm. Nothing had seemed wrong before - Floki had been absently braiding at strands of his hair, muttering 'Threads' every now and then as Athelstan dozed in and out of sleep. Despite the well kept heath and the warmth of the furs the cold would keep making sleep uncomfortable so no one slept deeply or well when suddenly a hunk of hair was pulled clean out of his scalp with an inhuman grip.

Blood trickled down his face as he was shoved out of the bed onto the freezing floor naked and confused.

Helga had almost by instinct sensed the coming of this and woke seconds before Athelstan' howled, she slipped out of the bed with practiced ease and went to take care of Athelstan, she draped a fur over his shoulder and put a clean wet, if cold cloth on his head to stop the blood.

"Floki, come, sleep again, you'll be tired."

"Oh, I don't think we shall be sleeping for a while, we have traveled far, too far." The voice was fey, sweetly as water coming from a sacred spring but malevolent and sharp like a whetstone grinding an ax blade.

"...sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fi-!" Athelstan attempted to get closer to Floki, he had started the Lord's Prayer, but with preternatural speed Floki grabbed him by the throat and the other voice hissed.

"Poisionous little worm and your weak dead god, come to take what is mine? He is mine. He is my son and my vessel, what are you?" The forces controlling Floki were never one or the other, some came and did no harm, only granted insight and the gift of foresight. Then there was one, who did not visit often, frightening but powerful, perhaps even Loki himself took it upon himself to use Floki and the results were often strange, harsh, at times unfair but sometimes very profound blessings. Would one expect any type of fixity with a force of chaos? Floki's thin body bore the brunt of it, his soul too, because he believed that the gods had him if not in their favour, they saw him as important as Ragnar.

The entity in Floki caught glimpses of Athelstan's thoughts before dropping him, not intending to kill him just yet, he saw Athelstan's thoughts, rapidly run through prayers.

'God why him? Why does this pagan have to be the devils' vessel, temptation and sin rent flesh? Please, please let him be ok, I need you to make him ok-'

"Tsck, who do you speak to - I am here, can you not hear me? Hear my will?"

"Don't hurt him, please, leave him!"

"Leave him? I am him? He is part of me, to peel us apart would be to unmake us! Oh... you know how it feels to be unmade little worm. To lay next to him, my sweet, mad little creature, to feel loathing and lust and sickness grinding away at you. I would have fucked you, fucked your virgin little hole - but no - he knows your pathetic little god would mourn your precious purity. Kept you tethered to him but he knew that if he just kept pulling at those threaaaaaads.... threads..." The voice in Floki gasped and faltered, Floki was starting to overtake, Athelstan saw this as a chance to try and help him - wrapping his arms around Floki's freezing body.

"PATER noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum..." He restarted the prayer, heart racing, of course he was was afraid of the thing in Floki but he also knew Floki, the other man, pagan, witch, fiend, was also friend, lover and beloved. 

The entity growled, Floki convulsed and tensed before rag-dolling heavily into Athelstan's arms, a clumsy, quaking pieta, Athelstan closed his eyes and whispered "Amen."

Helga cried, she wasn't one to cry much but she had become overwhelmed by it all, sniffling she went back to them and gently helped Floki back onto the bed, wrapping him in every fur in the house, even the one Bjorn had been peering out from under.

"Hey!"

"Shssh. Go back to sleep."

"How can I sleep with no fur and - and after that!?" His voice had started to drop but he was still squeaking in places.

Athelstan sat with Floki, gently stroking the smooth planes of his scalp, he suddenly didn't feel so cold, he was warm as a flat stone after a day in the sun with a drowsy, happy look on his face. Nothing like a man that had just spent much too long naked in below zero temperature even indoors, the colour returned to his eyes that looked up at Athelstan. Unfocused but free of the host that had just gripped him before.

"I will be blessed by the gods. I know I will." Croaky and rough he smiled and Athelstan kissed him on the mouth deeply, he tasted of sea water, something fizzy, metallic sharp but not unpleasant. As Floki passed out into deep, healing sleep Helga had managed to get a restless and freaked out Bjorn to stay in bed, she touched Athelstan's shoulder, he tensed sharply before relaxing.

"What, by all that is holy - just happened?" He turned and asked

"A vision, perhaps a blessing?"

"He was possessed."

"The Sly one. He is... frightening, honestly I do not like it when he comes, it makes Floki sick, but he is not sick now?" She touched his brow, he was fine, sweaty but fine.

"Well Priest. My dear husband, like your master Ragnar - is very much blessed by the favor of the gods. Odin smiles on a warrior, a leader like Ragnar - on my dear Floki, they bestow other things to him. He sees. His sight is even deeper than the Jarl's Seer. But it is also very different, but I love him, and he loves me, and he loves you. The Sly one loves him too, in a way, and maybe he was jealous. Floki is not a man of waning devotions. There is nothing to fear."

"Fear?" He should fear god, he should fear the demon that invaded the other man, he should fear these people - but he doesn't, he feels his heart ache for the man, his wife, his masters, the people among them. He felt connected with them, like a knot tied in among the threads of their lives.

The cold froze the blood in the veins of a buck nearby who had been caught unawares, unseeing and empty it's eyes point at the shipwrights' house - the entity lingers near - no plans on leaving it's vessel just yet.


End file.
